Hot Dish 9.13.24

By Rochelle Olson

When I was with Olympian Regan Smith earlier this week, she told students at her alma mater that she had not been back in the Lakeville North High School building since Friday, March 13, 2020, for her AP Stats class. Then she said, “We’ve got another Friday the 13th this week so I wonder what could happen.” Awww, hell no, not another pandemic as I’m still managing the violent cough lingering from the COVID-19 I acquired at the DNC in Chicago.

Former President Donald Trump says there won’t be a second debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. He says only losers seek a rematch and he doesn’t need one. Amnesty International is asking President Joe Biden to pardon Leonard Peltier and I don’t think anyone’s talking enough about the vice president’s manicure during the debate.

Back to Minnesota, I was there on Wednesday, the 9/11 anniversary, when Gov. Tim Walz reappeared in Minnesota as if by magic. He made a brief visit to Roy Wilkins Auditorium to talk to volunteers packing meals for food shelves across the state. After his entire two-minutes of remarks, Walz chatted with volunteers, making sure not to get too close to the media pen lest someone shout a question he won’t answer.

Yes, they keep us in pens now. That’s another delightful consequence of the governor on the national ticket. Also, we had to arrive more than an hour ahead of the event for the security sweep which is logistical reality — for now. I know that Walz is No. 2 on the ticket. But he’s been governor for six years and remains the governor and gee, golly, maybe he could acknowledge the existence of the media he hasn’t taken questions from since Aug. 6.

Muzzle Walz appears to be the game plan for the former assistant coach. (Say it loud and proud not because you believe me but because it’s fun with the three Zs: Muzzle Walz.) If anyone finds him roaming free in a dog park this weekend, let me know asap 612-202-6487.

My favorite part of the event was stepping up to the Winthrop and Weinstein volunteers so I could see Joe Bagnoli and former Minneapolis City Coordinator Heather Johnston wearing hairnets. Loved seeing those two characters and it was Bagnoli’s birthday.

I know I wrote about our reporting trip to Pennsylvania it last week here, but I’d yet to empty my notebook so there’s more here in a column that runs in print Sunday. I’ve failed to mention the cheese plate or the end-of-journey drinks served on the flight from Erie to MSP. (Vodka tonic for me. Double bourbon — or was it Scotch? — on the rocks for photographer Glen Stubbe.)

VOTER REG: Minnesota now has an enhanced process for verifying eligible documents for automatic voter registration, Briana Bierschbach writes. The office says 65,339 Minnesotans have been registered to vote since the state’s new automatic voter registration system started up in April. The system allows Minnesotans with proper documentation to be registered to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license. Since its inception, the Department of Vehicle Services has “flagged a small number of applicant files as needing additional confirmation of voter registration information, including address, name, and citizenship.”

Day of mourning here as we prepare for a long four months without Bierschbach, who starts maternity leave. We gave her cookies (baked and designed by the insanely talented staff photographer Renée Jones-Schneider). See the cookies here and know that the photo doesn’t do them justice. That’s Briana’s dog Laika, BTW. Current Hennepin County reporter Chris Magan will be joining us for her absence and we consider ourselves lucky for that.

FAILING GRADES: Colleagues Mara Klecker and Jeff Meitrodt looked into how charter schools are mostly failing Minnesota students while taxpayers spend $1 billion on them annually. The schools, a Minnesota experiment, are largely failing the most vulnerable students, the reporters found. Meanwhile, Rhode Island charter schools are succeeding. Spend some time with the stunning multimedia series.

FREE HONEY: Walz does occasionally refer to his cat on the campaign trail. It seems to me that Honey the cat isn’t as well known by name as Scout the dog. This is my way of backing into this story for which when I saw the headline, I thought to myself: Are we so desperate we now write about found cats? Ah, but it’s much better than that and linking to the story gives me an opportunity to infuse your Friday with a reminder to never, ever give up. This story, flawlessly written by University of Minnesota student Leo Pomerenke, proves it again.

PIPELINE PROGRESS: The Public Utilities Commission approved 3-2 a route for the Magellan Pipeline, Walker Orenstein reports. The route is farther from the Pipestone National Monument than Magellan wanted. It was initially suggested by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe but later opposed by the tribe. The commission’s chair and vice chair, both DFLers, pushed to delay a decision on the route to give time for “full cultural and archaeological surveys” of several potential paths to ensure the pipeline wouldn’t damage Pipestone or other sensitive sites, as well as extra dialogue with tribes about the results.

WHERE’S WALZ:

Out of Office.

He was in Grand Rapids, Mich., Thursday evening telling the crowd that “sometimes” Midwesterners allow others to merge. (Yes, I listened to the speech while walking my dog.) Here he is on stage with Big Gretch and being mocked for his gestures by Trump’s campaign as well as by state Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria.

Walz is starting his Friday the 13th there before moving on to Lansing at noon followed by Mosinee, Wisconsin, at 3 p.m. and a Wausau volunteer event. They are truly tending to the fields in Pa-Mi-Wi.

READING LIST

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